Hay handling device



0. F. FITCH HAY HANDLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 17, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 fINVENTORL flranffF vtch ATTDRN EYE Oct. 23, 1945. O.-F. FITCH 2,337,434

' HAY HANDLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 17, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INI'ENTOR. Oran F. Fz/ich/ wayzz aa.

Oct. 23, 1945. o. F. FITCH 2,337,434 v HAY HANDLING DEVICE Filed Jaln. 1'7, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Oct. 23, ,1945.- r o. F. FITCH 2,387,434

HAY HANDLING DEVICE I Filed Jan. 17, 1944 4'Sheets-Sheet 4 J Oran E Fitch I INVENTOR.

- amyzmw end of the frame 24.

Patented Oct. 23, 1945 it-"" 326.v

A .iiaafieaiilfi titem zeQeiii: a e u January 17, 19.44, Serial No; 518,602 -re ease r' m 9n f 1at sfiet a e lr qa wading andtstaoking of: hay, and has among itsiobiects and-f aavanagesae prdv-ision or; an: improved hay handling device porter-mine "the combined functions of: a hayistacler, sweep. fah and loader.

1 In the accompanying drawings t i Figure l is a side view of my invention. g s 291 plan view;

Eigurewiitis a side view illustrating the device adjusted *to a hay dumping position in contraunreal-and 2 distinction to the haycoll ecting positionsrof l ig- Figure 14 is a fragmentary top view of -the sweep unit and neurons means.

FigureSI's a side viewof the structureof Figure illustrating the-sweep in a raking position. Figure fi isa view illustrating the "sweep unit in a 'ttiltedpo s ition clearof--tl 1 grun an Figure"! is a sectional view taken along the w line 1-1 of ng-ure 2. a

i ln the embodirnent of: the invention" selected ion illustration,- I make use H of;--a small truck 16 having -the usual reardrive-whels and front wheelst I4 Ihe tr uclg lfl includes a frame 14 the usual engine I65 l his enginealso includesfthe usual "clutch andbrake' devices, the

clutc and brake pedals being-respectively indi rear axle structiire are preferably rearranged so thatvehicle travels rearwardlywhenthe forward gears-ofthe transmission are in operation.

'rhe steering 'wheel is reversed so that the operqi. we! iaseiete d rec of th eithering movement of the device.

Upon the frame I4 is mounted a larger frame 24, which lies in a horizontal plane. This frame includes side frame members 26 which support upright frame members 28 braced by diagonal braces 36 and 32', the latter extending from the tops of the upright members 28 to the forward ends of the side members 26.

To the rear ends of the side members 26 are pivotally connectedlifting members 32, as at 34. The members 32 lie adjacent the outer sides of the respective members 26 and extend forwardly of the vehicle to positions beyond the forward beams 36. These beams lie adjacent the outer side faces of the respective members 32, and the pivotal connections 38 are located closely to the forward ends of the beams 36. The beams 36 carry the sweep unit 46. r

The sweep unit 46 comprises tines 42 bolted To the forward ends of A the two members 26 are pivotally connected two to the top face of a cross beam 44 a short distance from their rear ends. The rear endsof the tines arebolted to the bottom face of a secondcrossbeamAG, and the two cross beams are boltedlat. 48Jto the beams 36." The, beams 44' and i 46 are additionally fixedly connected by braces 56 bolted to the respective cross. beams. To t thedepndinglcrcss frame 52 at the forward end of the frame; 2-4Jare. bolted two stops 54 which lie in the path of the cross beam 4.6- when the sweepunit '46; is lowered to the. position of Figures 1 and 7*: l l V Levers 56 are. pivotallyconnected intermediate their ends with. brackets58 depending from the two members 32. To the forward endof each lever-:56 islconnectedia pull line 66. Each line passes lo0sely... through an opening 62 in its respective member 32. Chains 6.4are connected A with the. rear .ends or the levers 56 and withxtherear ends. of-rthebeams 36. With the sweep unit 46in the position of Figures "1 and 7, thepivots38.;arelocated forwardly of the stops 54:- so. that the weight of the members 32 load the sweep unit to t hold the, latter in effective engagement with the field. However, the sweep unit isfree to pivot. on thestops 54 to. conform to field irregularities, the chains 64 providing desirable flexibility for this purpose. The sweep unit 46 may. bepivoted upwardly a limited distance by exerting a pull-on the lines 66, whichbrings the beams 36 into. parallelism with the members 32,

asvin Eigure 6, therqlevers' 56 engaging the members 32 to prevent further pivotal movement of the sweep unit about :the pivots 38.

, il he linesfl66zpass upwardly around sheaves 6,2, downwardly of the upright members 28 and around sheaves 64, from which point the two lines pass around sheaves 66 mounted on the frame 24 and are attached to spools 68 on a shaft 16 mounted in bearings 12 on the frame 24. This shaft is driven through the medium of a drive shaft I4 having a geared connection (not shown) with the shaft 16, the geared connection being enclosed in a housing 16. Such drives are old and? well known in the art and need not be described in detail.

Universal joints 18 are provided in the'shafts 14 to accommodate the elevated position of the shaft I6. A transmission 86 is bolted to one of the frame members l4 and includes a control lever 62.

A brake band 84 is provided for a brake drum 86 attached to the shaft 14, which band is controlled by a lever 86. A power take-01f device 96 con-' to protect the operator from material dropping from the sweep unit 40 as it is elevated.

In operation, the loaded sweep unit 40 is dumped by elevating the members 32 to the upright position of Figure 3. When in this position, the back structure 98 of the sweep unit 40 inclines in such degree as to permit the load to slide off the sweep unit. In some cases, the load or portions thereof might cling to the sweep unit. To facilitate removal under such conditions, the members 32 are caused to strike a cross beam I attached to springs I02 mounted on the upright members 28. struck against the cross beam I00 to shake the load free from the sweep unit. As a matter of safety, a pull line I04 is attached to the cross beam I00 and passes downwardly for connection pendent of the pivotal movement of the pivoted lift members.

2. In a stacking machine of the type having a wheeled frame, a power plant, a clutch and brake mechanism, a supplementary frame on the wheeled frame and having a vertical back part, lift members pivoted on said supplementary frame, a pair of beams pivoted at one end to the pivoted lift members and extending forwardly thereof, a sweep unit attached to said beams at their ends, said sweep unit haVinga back structure extending normally upwardly from the sweep Thus the members 32 may be repeatedly with the clutch lever I8, so that the clutch will be disengaged when the members 32 strike the cross beam.

My invention is designed to collect a relatively heavy load and to elevate the load to such an extent as to permit high stacking of the hay. The vehicle may be backed closely to the stack or point of unloading and the sweep unit 40 is elevated and located to a position which permits the hay to be discharged without interference from the vehicle frame structure.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

1. In a stacking machine of the type having a Wheeled frame, a power element, and clutch and brake mechanism, a supplementary frame on the wheeled frame and. having an upright back part, lift members pivoted on said supplementary .frame, beams pivoted at one end t0 the pivoted lift members and extending forwardly thereof, a

sweep unit attached to said beams at their ends,

said sweep unit having a back structure extending normally upwardly from the sweep unit, rocking levers on the pivoted lift members attached to the other ends of the beams, cables attached to the rocking levers and connected with the winding drums connected with the power element, a spring mounted stop onthe vertical frame to limit the upward movement of the pivoted lift members, a connection between said stop and the clutch to disconnect the power plant when the pivoted lift members engage the stop, and the rocking levers permitting limited motion of the sweep unit indeunit, levers pivoted between their ends on the pivoted lift members and attached at their outer ends to, the other ends of the beams, cables attached to the rocking levers and connected with winding drums'connected with the power element, a backstop to limit the upward movement of the pivoted lift members, leaf springs supporting the back stop on, the vertical back part, a connection between the clutch and the back stop to disconnect the power plant when the pivoted lift member engages the stop, and the rocking levers permitting limited movement of the sweep unit independent of the pivotal movement of the pivoted frame. I x

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein the pivoted beams are normally inclined forwardly and downwardlyto present the sweep unit toward and adjacent the ground, and movable to a position substantially aligned with the pivoted lift members to raise the sweep unit above the ground independent of the pivotalmovement of the pivoted lift member, and said beams when aligned tilting the back structure of the sweep unit to a position inclined backwardly When the pivoted lift members are raised tocontact the back stop, and a shield over the wheeled frame.

4. In a stacking machine,'comprisin a wheeled frame, a fixed frame on the ,Wheeled frame, a piv- "oted vertically swingable lift member on the fixed frame, a pair of beams pivoted one on each side rail of the free end of the lift member, said beams normally tilted downwardly, a sweep having tines and attached tothe beams and normally tilted to engage the ground, and means for pivoting the 

